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Sunday, August 27, 2006

An Unlikely Source

Victories have often come from an unlikely source.

Virtually all of the expansion of civil and privacy rights came from the decisions of the Warren Court. Chief Justice Earl Warren was a hard-nosed Republican prosecutor before joining the court.

When abortion rights were hanging by a thread, it was Sandra Day O'Connor, a staunch opponent of abortion who voted with the majority, repeatedly, to uphold Roe v. Wade.

I believe it is all but beyond dispute that the biggest victory ever for full equality for the GLBT commumnity was "Romer v. Evans". You can read about the case here if you are not familiar with it. But the most remarkable thing about the case was that the GLBT community owes its victory to an unlikey source, current Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts.

Mr. Roberts was, at the time a lawyer for Hogan & Hartson; he was asked to assist, pro bono, the gay rights side of the case. He agreed and according to those who argued the case, his assistance was indispensible. Don't take my word for it. listen to the view of our our enemies.

My point is this:

Have faith in the machinations of our legal system. Justice will alway win in the end, and those victories will often come from an unlikely source.

Recommended Reading

Veteran Ben LaGuer

Let me finally return to Dwight Macdonald and the responsibility of intellectuals. Macdonald quotes an interview with a death-camp paymaster who burst into tears when told that the Russians would hang him. "Why should they? What have I done?" he asked. Macdonald concludes: "Only those who are willing to resist authority themselves when it conflicts too intolerably with their personal moral code, only they have the right to condemn the death-camp paymaster." The question, "What have I done?" is one that we may well ask ourselves, as we read each day of fresh atrocities in Vietnam—as we create, or mouth, or tolerate the deceptions that will be used to justify the next defense of freedom.

– Chomsky, The Responsibility of Intellectuals 1967

Words to Remember:

"Juris praecepta sunt haec: honeste vivere; alterum non laedere; suum cuique tribuere"(These are the precepts of the law: To live honorably; to hurt nobody; to render to every one his due.)

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." -Section 1 of the 14th amendment to the US Constitution

Never Forgotten; Sadly Missed

Lawrence King

GLBT Legends

Paul McMahon and Ralph Hodgdon in 2007

"If you want to be important -- wonderful. If you want to be recognized -- wonderful. If you want to be great -- wonderful. But, recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness." -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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